Does Subsistence Agriculture Play a Crucial Role in Food Security in Swaziland?

Abstract

Subsistence agriculture occupies about 74% of total arable land of Swaziland and offers employment to about three quarters of Swaziland’s population. In spite of the active involvement of the majority of Swazi populace in farming coupled with relative climatic conditions for rain-fed agriculture, Swaziland is among one of the countries in Southern Africa which often experiences food insecurity. Understanding the role played by the subsistence sector to the household’s food security status and its dynamics is central to food security policies and strategies of the country as regards requirement for external food aid. Using a farm management data on 120 randomly selected households from seven chiefdoms, this study, therefore, examines the extent to which the subsistence agricultural production contributes to the households’ food security.

The results show that on average, the estimated net available food for consumption (5987498 kcal/year) per household was more than the average estimated minimum household’s food requirement (4443255 kcal/year). Nevertheless, on the basis of individual households’ assessment, 31% of the sample were food insecure. The results further reveal that 63% of all the households experienced food shortages mostly in the period leading just before the harvest period. Hence, in the real sense of the definition of food security it is concluded that subsistence agriculture is capable of ensuring food security to only 37% of the sampled households.

Key words: Food Security, Subsistence Agriculture, Swaziland, Sustainability.